Rules For Upending Your Addiction to A Meaningless Existence

I've said this before, there is little that's easy about doing the work of a mechanic; this trade is tough, and sometimes I do wonder why people who have never done an honest day's work in their life are doing it. It doesn't make sense. Still, there are those people who do it, who just can't seem to break free from being told that this is the way it is. There are people waiting for others to make opportunities happen for them. People who are scared of doing something hard, or trying to be better at life. I think a lot of guys, are afraid of what others will think of them. The truth is, it shouldn't matter, but it does.

So how do we break out of this cycle that lands us in a world of accepting mediocrity as being good enough? 

Here are seven rules that I've discovered are really true about the world around me. These are not things I made up, or put together, rather, they are things that have come to light, things I have begun to observe as my vision about the way God has made the world work start to come into focus.

1. Always understand this - adversity is often the best path; the obstacle to progress should be seen as the path to something better, not always a mistake. The road less traveled is perilous, but worth every step. Broad is the way that leads to destruction, but narrow is the path that leads to life - few find this path worth the effort too. (Matthew 7:13-14)
2. Good things require a good plan — This is preparation - don’t follow a dream, rather, build your life from a well-rehearsed blueprint; stop riding shotgun through life. Stop living like your on a Sunday drive through the countryside too. a good life requires the right kind of execution, and this my friend requires thoughtful preparation.
3. Learn how to become a problem solver — Understand the principles, learn how to be detailed and perceptive to how situations in life work, and apply practical truth and wisdom to life.
4. Be patient... Don’t be afraid to wait, re-think and the-trace what needs to be done! Pressing pause is not the same as quitting. Being prudent, rushing into something, or doing something because it just feels right is too often a mistake.
5. Be humble - in other words, learn to be a learner. Seek wisdom and advice and be willing to be wrong, not know, or just listen!
6. Set a reasonable goal, set a time, and get after it! 
7. Start every day evaluating your purpose - ask why? If money, freedom, or time are the main motivations for doing what you do -you will never make enough money, gain enough freedom, or have enough time… find a real purpose that makes you, those around you, and your family better. "The only wealth which you will keep forever is the wealth you have given away." ~ Marcus Aurelius